fanqie novel
Chapter 73
The morgue was cold and chitty. Unlike the chill of winter, this made one’s heart turn cold.
At this moment, besides Vincent and Zane, there was also a forensic pathologist and several police officers in the morgue.
Stephanie walked in with a sad look, and Vincent, who sat in the wheelchair, greeted her.
Vincent said seriously. “The forensic pathologist has conducted an examination. She suspects it’s due to sudden cardiac arrest, and an autopsy is required to determine the specific cause. Since Florence and her parents have been sent to the police station, you are the only immediate family member let. Despite your severed ties with the Hayes family, this is a unique matter where you have to decide.”
Stephanie nodded lightly, enduring the grief. She walked to the side of the mortuary bed and slowly removed the white shoot.
Austin’s face was pale, and there was no fluctuation in his chest.
Stephanie’s lips trembled as she held Austin’s cold hand. “How could this be? How could this happen?”
The police approached and said, “Ms. Hayes, I know you’re in great sorrow, but we need you to decide or not an autopsy is to be performed.”
After thinking for a while, Stephanie shook her head. “I want Grandpa to leave in peace. No autopsy needed.”
led. “Okay, then we will handle it as a normal case
The policeman nodded.
After the police left, Stephanie concealed her anguished expression. She retrieved a small black pill from her handbag, opened Austin’s mouth, placed it inside, and gently closed it. She then turned around and held the forensic pathologist’s
‘s hand. “ThankyNôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.
kyou, Agnes.”
Agnes smiled. “There’s no need to thank me. I won’t be able to repay your kindness to my dad for the rest of my life. It’s an honor to do something for
you.”
With a faint smile, Stephanie said, “Agnes, Grandpa will awaken in about an hour. I think it’s time to handle some formalities so that it can look real.”
Agnes nodded. “Twe already completed all necessary documents. The funeral home’s car is parked downstairs. We can head to the crematorium now. My brother is waiting there. Mr. Hayes’s ‘funeral will be very grand.”
Stephanie hugged Agnies, then turned to Giovanni and said, “Take Grandpa away now”
Giovanni nodded.
Giovanni sat in the car, accompanying Austin to the funeral home. Zane followed him in his own car.
Stephanie asked Vincent happily, “How was my acting just now?”
Vincent chuckled, “Excellent, it almost brought me to tears.”
It suddenly occurred to Stephanie how sad Vincent had been in her previous life when he witnessed her tenible demise. She cupped Vincent’s face and said, “Don’t worry. I won’t let you cry.”
Vincent chuckled helplessly, “Stephie, I should be saying that.”
Resting her head on his shoulder, Stephanie whispered, “If there comes a day when one of us will leave first. I hope it’s you.”
“Why?” Vincent asked h a r s e l y.
Stephanie teased, “If I were to leave first, you’d cry all day long.”
“I won’t cry,” Vincent replied.
Stephanic looked at Vincent “TI leave this world with you because the world means nothing to me without you. Stephie, you’re all I live for.”-
Stephanie sniffled. “Y You big fooli
I’m just a big fool for you,” Vincent repbed.
Stephanie said, laughing through tears. “You’re so stup i d.”
Vincent pinched her cheeks and placed her on his lap. “So, do you still like me?”
Stephanie wrapped her arms around his neck and said, “Yes, I like you,”
Vincent hugged her tightly. The heavy topic she had just brought up made his heart suddenly clench with pain as if he had experienced it. “Stephie, I’m here. I will always be here for you. Give me time to settle some matters, and then we can have our wedding ceremony, okay?”
“Okay” replied Stephanie.
Vincent remembered the group of people that ambushed them at the top of the mountain. Since they were not sent by Douglas, he had to find the mastermind. Otherwise, they were never going to be able to live in peace,
Stephanie didn’t like the somber atmosphere. In her previous life, she and Vincent had a bad ending. She didn’t want this life to be like this. She was determined to change that ending and prevent the history from repeating.
“Did you find tonight’s product launch interesting?” Stephanie asked happily
Vincent nodded. “Very interesting. Even though I wasn’t there in person, I could practically feel the embarrassment.”
Stephanie raised her eyebrows. “Do you
think I went too far?”
Vincent gently traced Stephanie’s slender waist. “You didn’t. Didn’t they ask for it? Stephie, if you lost tonight, they wouldn’t have spared you in their actions or words. They won’t stop taunting and mocking you. You did a good job tonight. Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to yourself. If you let them go, they will fight back against you.”
Stephanie hummed in response and replied, “We’re going to hold a grand funeral for Grandpa, exposing the ugly behaviors of the Hayes family to all the people in Jacaster and the whole country. After that, we must send him to a safe place”
“Don’t worry, I’ll send Mr. Hayes to a good place to recuperate,” said Vincent.
Stephanie nodded.
When the car arrived at the crematorium, the funeral home staff lifted down the coffin containing the deceased. At the same time, Stephanie and Vincent
also exited the car.
A man in black sportswear ran toward them. He nodded slightly to them and said, “I’m Muriel Collier, and my sister is Agnes. She briefed me on everything. I’ve already found the substitute body, which belonged to an elderly man who passed away this afternoon leaving no relatives behind.”
Stephanie nodded. “Thank you.”
Muriel shook his head. “If you didn’t save my father, we’d have lost him. We can go through some formalities. Later, I have to disguise that man, which takes time, or people will find out.”
Stephanie nodded in agreement,
then left v
with Muriel
Zane murmured, “It seems this family is greatly indebted to Mrs. Fletcher.”
Vincent said, “Mr. Collier is an archaeologist. Three years ago, he entered an ancient tomb. One of the new archaeologists secretly opened a coffin, which caused a toxic pathogen to be released. Mr. Collier, who was closest, was infected. To prevent further harm, he bravely closed the lid of the coffin. That archaeologist passed away after two days, and Mr. Collier was on the verge of death. Hearing about this, Stephanie contacted Agnes, intending to help save Mr. Collier, Muriel and Agnes were grateful to Stephie and wanted to give her several hundred thousand dollars in return, but she refused. She only
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said that she admired Mr. Collier’s contribution to the country and the treatment was voluntary.”
Zane asked, “So, they don’t know that Mrs. Fletcher is Dr. Summer?”
Vincent nodded. “I don’t know. Anyone who knows her identity can easily figure it out. If her identity is exposed, the chances of betraying her are
significant.”
Zane’s mouth twitched. He wished he didn’t know.
After going through the formalities, Muriel took a picture of Austin’s face and said, “Ms. Hayes, don’t worry. I will do it well”
Stephanie smiled. “I trust you.”
Vincent arranged for Austin to be taken away in a car, accompanied by Giovanni.
Stephanie and Vincent bought all the necessary funeral items and stayed at the funeral home to avoid arousing suspicion.
The next day, the news of Austin’s death spread like wildfire.
Many of the trending topics read: Horace and Matilda were taken to the police station at midnight, suspected of Austin Fletcher’s death.]
[During the product launch of the exhibition center, Mrs. Hayes threatened to murder Austin, and he was found dead later that night.
[Mrs. Hayes was ruthless, and it was hard to absolve her from Austin Fletcher’s death.
[Florence was humiliated and is now accused of plagiarism. She’s shameless.
[Florence’s deception is once again exposed. What else can she do except faking?]
[Both Florence and Douglas faced public humiliation, losing their reputation on a global scale.
The police station was crowded with reporters.
When Douglas, Florence, and her parents came out, the camera flashes almost blinded them.
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